Escape From Caldera-Lockdown
by thelonechipmunk
Summary: This story is a parody of the "Escape From Furnace" series. The story is rated M for gore, disturbing imagery, and mild language. It's mild language because that's how the original story was, so I decided to honor that.
1. How It Began

**Hello everyone! I've decided to write this story a little differently. Because of how many people like reading AatC fanfics based on their history before CGI, I'll be writing this story as close to the old version as I can to satisfy you. This is still in CGI, and some personalities will be changed somewhat due to the events of this story, but most everything will be like the old version...at least to the best of my ability. I'm unfortunately not very knowledgeable of the old version. If any of you would like to take the time to educate me though on basic things like personality and whatever else you think I'd need to know about the chipmunks and chipettes, make sure to PM me. Be very descriptive and give examples if something is hard to explain. Anyways, I present to you, my parody of "Escape From Furnace"!**

**Alvin's POV**

February 8, 2012. This is the day that I changed my fate forever. The day I doomed myself to become the abomination I am now. I'm reluctant to call myself Alvin Seville again. Do I even deserve a name after the things I've done?

That day at school. It all began with a single theft. Something so petty. Ugh, God it's weird hearing myself use words like that. It's so alien to me, how much smarter I've gotten over the past year. Anyways, I had been sitting at lunch. It was the end of my senior year, and I had promised Simon that I would hang out with him at his table. Theodore was there too, along with the chipettes. Er, I should probably explain this first.

I'm not human. I never was. Nor were my brothers. Believe it or not, we're talking chipmunks. We'd been adopted by a human named Dave, who we came to call our Dad. We had a natural talent for singing, so Dave started our career as rock stars. That life style is of course long over by now. The chipettes, as they've told us, came into our lives in a package from **(I think Australia. Some one pm me please for clarification)**. Well, Dave took them in to live with us, and we've been a family ever since...before this all happened to me.

I was eating my lunch halfheartedly. I'd have preferred to be at the jock table but that wasn't gonna happen. I began hearing a commotion behind me and turned when I noticed Simon and Theodore staring wide eyed at something behind me. When I looked to see what they were staring at, Ryan was pummeling one of the students from the nerd table. He launched his fist into the kid's gut and threw him onto the concrete floor before looking at me a gesturing for me to come over.

I was hesitantly sitting on the edge of the table. That's where I made the mistake that lead to all that's happened. I jumped down from the table and ran over to Ryan.

"You said you needed some cash to pay for the text book you lost right? Well...", Ryan said, pointing at the sniveling boy.

I disgust myself. I crawled over the boy and dug into his pocket, where I found his wallet. The kid just stared at me in disbelief as I folded up a fifty dollar bill and stuffed it in my hoodie. I dropped the wallet and walked back to my table without a word.

Collecting my things, I glanced at the glaring Simon before walking off to the front office. The book had to be payed off, or I wouldn't have passed. To this day, I scoff at myself for that incident. For the things I've done after that day, I'm glad I barely resemble my old self.

The theft only increased exponentially thereafter. I began stealing little things from my own family. Things like a dollar or two here, a watch or other electronic there for selling. It became a hunger I couldn't control. I felt that I needed more. So I eventually robbed my first house. I came out with a little over two hundred dollars.

From then on, I'd only been robbing homes and stores. They got me a lot further than picking on my brothers and the chipettes. The only failed attempt I can think of, aside from the one that got me in prison, was on March 23 when I'd come to a house, no lights on at all, so I had only assumed it was safe. I was wearing all black clothing and a black sock with holes cut in the front as a mask. No sooner had I picked the lock to the door and crept in had I come face to face with a man I guess was on his way to the bath room. He was completely naked, and stared back at me in shock. Back then, I considered how fast I ran away record breaking. It's nothing to me now though.

Now, I'll tell you the next step in the order of events leading to what I've become. The last theft I would ever commit...or attempt that is. I'd been planning to break into an electronics shop for several weeks. I spent hours on end learning the layout of the building and it's every day schedules, making sure that it would go flawlessly. I decided It was time I would need some help though.

To this day I curse myself for being so low. So low as to get my own brother, Simon, to help me. He'd never done one bad deed his whole life, and I took that away from him.

Obviously he said no at first. Then I offered him half the profit I got out of the robbery. It still took a lot of explaining of the plan to convince him, even with the promise of money he could put towards his own needs such as books, inventions, collage or whatever nerds save up for. In the end, he finally agreed so long as he only had to keep watch. That was good enough for me.

The night I'd planned the robbery was desolate. I hadn't thought of what the weather would be like, and I paid the price for that. So there we were in the black clothes I'd made, shivvering pathetically in a full down pour while I struggled to work the glass cutter I recently bought. Simon shuddered and asked when I'd be done.

I grunted as I worked away at the last fragments of glass, "J-just shut up and keep watch! I'm almost through.", I shot at him.

Simon sighed and attempted to hide from the rain under a few branches sticking out from the bushes around us. At last, with a splintering sound, the glass fell away from the rest of it, only to land on my foot.

"Mother! Fmmmmmm!", I seethed, doing my best to ignore the pain as I gestured for Simon to crawl through.

The hole I made was only about four inches wide, not exactly a perfect circle, but it got the job done. After hoisting Simon up to the hole, he crawled into it and reached his paw out, of which I tossed him a small duffel back I'd brought before jumped up and caught a hold of his paw. He pulled me up and I too crawled through. We were finally inside.

"Phew. Alright Simon, you just go and hide somewhere that you can still see outside from. You just need to watch for anyone while I collect the stuff.", I instructed to my black-clad brother.

He nodded with a sigh and went off to find a vantage point. I got straight to work. I bounded between the various shelves, shoveling the smallest but most expensive equipment I could find into the duffel bag. Being a chipmunk certainly has it's pros and cons. We're so small that spotting us here is just about impossible. However, it greatly limits what we can carry. I manage to cram several 3DS packages into the bag, along with a few expensive head sets and power cords. By the time the bag was so full it barely closes, I'd counted around two thousand dollars worth of electronics. I couldn't stop there though. I just had to have more.

"Hey! Simon!", hissed to him, of which a crept over to me in response. I reached into the side pocket of the duffel bag and hoisted out a tiny crow bar and handed it to him, "Go bust open the cash register. I'm gonna go check the managers office for more money.", I explained.

"W-what?! You said I only had to keep watch!", Simon barked back. A little too loud.

"SHHHH! You never know if there's anyone around! There's a scheduled night check every two hours! Just...I'll give you two thirds of the profit. You need the money more than me anyways."

My older brother glared at me for a tense moment before grumbling as he turned and trudged over to the register. I turned and ran to the back door. It was, as I'd expected, unlocked. I crept down the corridor, counting down the rows of storage rooms before stopping at the second to last door. Above it read in bold black on a golden plaque that glimmered slightly in the dim light, 'Manager's Office'.

I checked the door knob, and it was locked, "Alright. Good thing I was prepared for this.", I whispered while taking a lock pick from my hoodie's pocket.

The door swung open with a loud creak, making me cringe with worry before putting the pick back in my pocket. Not wasting a second more, I scurried over to the desk centered in the pitch black room and took a tiny, silver flash light from my other hoodie pocket and clicked it on. The desk itself too had a lock on it, a good sign that valuables lie within. I picked the lock as fast as my little paws would allow me and pulled the drawer open with a quiet grating sound of wood on wood. Pale green flashed before my blue eyes as I scanned the drawer's contents with the flash light.

I whispered with an ear to ear grin, "Jack pot..."

As I was reaching for the wad of cash, I suddenly stopped cold when I heard a blood curdling scream from somewhere else in the building. I looked up at the open door way, my heart pounding in my chest. Something caught my eye, a slight gleam of white beside the door in the shadows. When I squinted to look closer, It was all I could do not to shriek by the grinning teeth in the shadows, the grin of an enormous man in a pitch black suit.

The instant he starting walking towards me, I snatched up the cash and hurled it at him while seemingly at the exact same time bolting for the door. I felt air brush over my tail as I scrammbled down the hallway, showing just how close I was to getting caught. Booming foot falls gained on me faster than I thought possible.

Just as I got through the doorway into the store room, I stopped dead in my tracks, gasping in shock at the sight of Simon huddled in a ball on the dimly lit carpet and surrounded by more giant men in black suits. What really got to me though was a much shorter man in the center of it all, bald, wearing a black lab coat with syringes locked into a small rack stitched into the fabric. He's wearing a gas mask, only there's no straps to hold it. Just a long row of stitches piercing his face. I'm not even sure if you can call it a 'him'!

It spasms suddenly, making me scream in fear, only to back up and trip over a massive foot behind me. I look up wide eyed at the grinning man that towers over me. He pulls out a gun and tosses it to another man. It's only then that I realize they all look strangely alike, besides the creature in the gas mask, as if they're all brothers.

The man with the gun pulls out a black tube from his pocket and fastens it onto the end of the gun's barrel, "Hello, Alvin.", his voice booms out with a toothy, shark like grin.

"H-how do you kn-know my name?!", I demanded, stuttering pathetically as I did.

"That doesn't matter. All that's important is that you're a murderer.", the man claimed with a chuckle, "See you back at Caldera!", then suddenly, the man aims the weapon at the floor and fires, making a soft thud.

I look down in confusion and scream, "SIMON! NO!", I shriek while running over to my brother and looking for the bullet wound, which I find dead center in his chest.

"Alvin. You don't need to worry about him. You only care about yourself anyways, right? You just need to run. Get as far away as you can.", I hear a booming voice behind me say.

A loud rattle of metal emits beside me, which I glance over to find being the gun. I reach over and grab it in both my paws as tight as I can, clenching my teeth in sheer anger.

"YOU SON OF A-", I scream while swinging the pistol in the man's direction, but he and the rest of them are already gone.

Sirens blare out from the front of the building as well as red and blue lights dance across the floor, walls and displays. I curse under my breath and look back down at Simon. I single tear drops to the carpet.

"I-I'm so sorry Si...", I snivel as I get up to my paws and dash for the window with the hole, leaving everything behind.

**There goes chapter one! I hope you all enjoyed this and look forward to the next chapter. If you think this is boring so far, just stick around anyways. This story is INSANE! It is just sooo cool, the things that happen. I'll give you a few things to look forward to. Skinless dogs, dissection, incinerators, super strength, and an underground prison called 'Caldera'. Still not interested?! Go back to being a low life!**  
**:P**


	2. The Road to Caldera

**I promised this chapter earlier, but I don't always get around to working on my stories as I'd like to. Anyways, enjoy!**

Tears continued to stream down my fur covered face, blurring my vision, aside from the heavy down pour, to the point at which I have to rely of lights to see where I'm going. For some reason, my head is in excruciating pain, pounding with each foot fall. I can hear a weird sound that...sounds like a baby whining into a pillow. I shake my head in frustration and stop to look for any lights to guide me.

I'm just finding the street lights when a crack emits, racking the earth beneath my paws. Every hair on my body is now sticking up. My ears twitch at a slight splintering sound, making me look to my side. I notice movement above me and look up. One of the lights is...coming towards me? By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. I screamed out as I turned and jumped forward, using every ounce of leg power I had. A crack from behind me, not too different from a car exploding, practically splits my ear drums in two. When I shriek in pain, I thought it was because the crashing telephone pole ruined my ears. Pain shoots through my spine and into my tail though. I desperately look down to find my tail caught beneath the wooden mass.

"Geh-Aaagh...hegh...hel..p...Someone, h-help ME! HEEELP!" I hopelessly plea.

To my surprise though, I see a blurred figure running towards me...followed by two more. I quickly rip off the black mask and toss it as far away as I can, yelping in pain when I turned to throw it. One of the figures clicks on a flash light and shines it on me as they approach. I can't see who they are, or even if they're cops but I think I can make assumptions, considering one of them, a female, just clicked on a radio with a static crackle and reported the scene before her. The two other figures get down on their knees on either side of me, placing their hands on the pole. To my surprise, they manage to move it a little, just enough for me to slide my tail out from under. The instant I'm free, I leap over the fallen pole and run as fast as I can.

...I never should have ran. I might have been able to get out of there. The agony was unimaginable. You know, tasers are already very painful on a human. They aren't designed to be used on a chipmunk. I was almost fried right then and there. But that was my consequence for being stupid, and I blacked out.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting on an iron chair. The first place I'd expected to wake up at was a hospital, not a court of law. I was shocked when I looked down to find myself dressed in an orange jumpsuit. I cringed when I heard someone to the right of me yell 'Murderer!'. That was NOT what I was. I was about to yell back at whoever made the outburst when the judge beat his mallet three times on his table. No wonder they use those stupid things. It's loud and manages to shut everyone up.

"Everyone settle down! He's awake now. Court is in session!", the man sighed, "Alvin Seville. Well isn't this a surprise. I'm confident that no one would have EVER guessed that you would stoop so low as to murder your own brother. Everyone loved you, but now you are no better than the rest of the filth that crawls through this room."

"I did NOT kill my brother!", I shot at him. The judge just glares at me.

"Due to last years events, during early autumn, juvenile murder has become just as unforgivable as any adult murder. Because of that single month, where several gangs of teenagers had gone on that killing spree, we will show you no mercy."

Yeah...the month of slaughter. Because of those gangs, young murder has been treated just as harshly as any other murder. I grunt in frustration and look behind me, just as two enormous men in black suits walk through the double doors and both take a seat.

"Tha-that's them!" I scream, trying to point but find my paws tied with a white, plastic strap, "That's the men who killed Simon!"

The judge completely ignored me and kept speaking, "Alvin Seville. We here by sentence you to life in Caldera Penitentiary with no chance of parole. Case closed. Goodbye."

I froze while everyone began talking, clapping or whatever. Caldera?! That's the place the men in the black suits said they would see me at! Suddenly, I'm yanked from the uncomfortable chair by a hand wrapped around me, pinning my arms to my sides.

"Dude, let go of me! I can walk you know!", I yelled at the man, who was in a police uniform.

"Shut it Seville. You're too small for the usual escort method. So just shut up. I don't want to hear your voice anyways. I used to love your band, but now you've taken that away from me!", the cop hissed back.

The two men in the black suits smiled their shark grin at me as the policeman walked by them and pushed open the doors. The noise of the people in the court room was cut off to a muffle as the doors slammed shut. When the man brought me into the lobby, I noticed Dave, Theodore, and the Chipettes, all sitting in one corner of the room.

"Guys! Dave, help me out here!", I said, yelling slightly.

Dave glanced at me with eyes full of unrelenting sorrow, then turned away. The Chipettes, nor Theodore looked at me. The last thing I saw of them was when the front doors to the building closed, and I could see Theodore's tear stricken face pear out the door window at me as I was taken away.

_*SCENE TRANSITION*_

A lot of the events following that were just a blur. I remember being driven in a squad car to a bus stop out in the country, though I don't know how far out. The road kept going, but there was one exit to the left, a dirt road with a black, armored bus just sitting there. When I was escorted to the bus, one of those men in black greeted the officer, grabbing me as he did and literally hurled me into the bus. I was lucky enough to land on another kid, however, he didn't take to kindly to it. I was thrown again, only this time skimming the edge of a seat and falling onto the rubber treaded walk way. It didn't hurt too much, but I was getting tired of being tossed around like a rag doll. I cursed them all under my breath and climbed into a seat. It was only then that I noticed just how desolate the vehicle was.

Everyone on the bus was of mere kids. Some of them looked to be no more than ten years old. Many of them were crying, or simply burying their faces into their hands or knees. I could hear a boy mumbling from the seat behind me, 'I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it...'. There was one more man dressed in black at the back of the bus. My attention drifted to the spas-12 he held up against his shoulder. He noticed me and smirked, showing me the familiar shark grin they all seem to share. I turned back to face the front of the bus, shuddering. The driver's seat was separated from the passenger seats by a chain link fence with an, also chain link, door. All the windows were covered in chain link fencing as well. I whimpered pathetically. This was like being in a cage. It was then that the first man in black got back onto the bus, closing the double doors behind him. He then closed and locked the cage door and started up the bus.

"Enjoy the ride!", he said with a chuckle.

The ride went in utter silence. I stared out the window most of the time, simply thinking of why this was happening. Why had they just gone and accused me of murder?! Just so they could get me into their stupid prison? Even worse...if I ever get out for whatever reason...will my family believe that I'm innocent? I cringed in sickening guilt, deciding to just observe my surroundings. The sides of the road were shrouded in light pine wood forestry. The skies are beginning to cloud up. It will be raining soon. I'm just then starting to think about the robbery with Simon when I hear hacking and coughing beside me. I swing my head to the boy across from me, hunched over and spilling his stomach contents all over the floor.

The man in the back of the bus walks over to the driver, "You owe me. I won the bet.", his voice boomed along with that typical smirk.

The driver looked over at the kid and then him, "Damn. You always guess who pukes first.", the driver said. The man with the shot gun just laughed before strolling to the back of the bus again.

I looked at the kid who'd vomited again then turned back to the window. Then I saw it. Caldera Penitentiary. It almost looks like a castle, an immense, impenetrable fortress. Although...it would kind of be the opposite of that wouldn't it. Inescapable. The entire structure is made up of blackish stone, a broad entrance cut into the center and blocked by massive, iron doors. Each corner of the structure is topped with look out towers. Although, it doesn't seem like they're being used.

The bus suddenly stopped in front of the building, making everyone lean forward. I however nearly fell off the stupid seat. I jumped down from the chair and followed the other kids out of the bus. The man with the spas-12 followed close behind as we followed the driver towards the front of Caldera, who then typed in a code onto a key pad beside the door. The pad emanated a beep, followed by the sound of shifting hydraulics as the doors slid into the walls. We were escorted inside and the doors were closed again. I had to cover my ears when the two iron doors collided together, making an unbearably loud bang that echoed in the corridor I now found myself in.

The driver vacated us, walking into a room to the right while the one with the shot gun kept us moving forward. At the end of the hallway were silver double doors. There however was no key pad for this one. To the left and right were two different rooms as well.

"Alright inmates. Everyone into the room on the left. Inside, you will find several stalls. Each of you will occupy a stall where you will be showered and rid of your urban clothes or jail uniforms. You will simply dump the clothes into a bin integrated in the walls of the stall. After putting your clothes in the bin, you will press a button to the right of the bin and be showered. Once you are done, you will leave the stalls and be issued your Caldera inmate uniform. That is all.", explained the man.

We all did as we were told without a word. In the room, there really was nothing but the stalls he'd mentioned lining the walls. There were maybe ten or twelve, all of them simple grey doors on the walls that went from ceiling to floor. We all picked out a stall and I shut the door behind us. There was no lock on the door, which made me quite uncomfortable. I quickly got out of the jail clothes I'd been fitted into while I'd been unconscious and began looking for the bin the man had mentioned. Wasn't too hard to find. It was simply a silver lid on the back wall of the stall that slid up into a black, steel sheath. Inside...nothing but pure darkness. I wondered as to where it lead to...then a thought crossed my mind.

"I-I could jump in there!", I whispered, almost inaudibly.

The only problem is...I just don't know where it goes. This just leads down into the ground. It could lead into a grinder or something. I would be mutilated! 'Eeegh, aw screw it', I thought as I tossed the jump suit into the darkness. I immediately regretted doing so, 'Aw shit! I don't have my new uniform yet!'. I swore aloud, not caring who heard it at this point.

"May as well find that button.", I mumbled to myself, easily finding the black little circle beside the silver bin.

My regret was only going to increase as time went by...I had not expected in any way shape or form to be drenched and nearly drowned by the tsunami of arctic water that descended onto me. The other kids quickly began mimicking my yelps and half screams as they too were blasted with freezing water. Thank God it didn't last very long. I'd maybe been under the arctic assault for thirty seconds when the water abruptly cut off and what was surrounding me drained away. I shuddered as I shakily stood up and looked down at myself. 'Sheesh, now I do look like a rat!', I silently exclaimed.

I gingerly step out of the stall, still thoroughly soaked, to find the rest of the kids completely naked as well as drenched, shivering and panting slightly from shock. At least the freezing water and air combination sort of obscures the fact that we're indecent. The man in black then walked in carrying several pairs of white jumpsuits and orange overalls. He's also holding what looks like shoes made of sand paper.

He begins handing out the clothes to each of us, "These are your uniforms. They will be changed daily and these paper shoes will be disposed of daily."

Paper shoes? Huh, well I wasn't too far off wasn't I? I eagerly accept my set of clothes, which are conveniently in my size.

"Hey...um, why do you guys have clothes in my size?", I asked the man.

He looked at me awkwardly, "What, you'd prefer human sized clothes?"

"No no! It's just...I didn't expect you guys to."

The man stared for a moment before replying, "We can prepare for almost anything on very short notice. We were told you would be joining us, so we had an order placed for clothes in your size. Now shut up, and get back into the hall way.", he snapped.

I did as I was told, satisfied that I'd at least gotten an answer, and the other kids followed me and the man back into the hall way. The man then took out a radio and simply said, "Open it."

A moment passed, then the silver doors slid into the walls with the sound of more hydraulics. Inside was a simple, square room. It's an elevator.

"Alright, all of you inside!", the man commanded in his booming voice.

Once we were in the elevator, he turned and said something to the radio again, then the doors closed. The elevator jolted down slightly, making everyone nearly lose their footing, then gently began it's descent.

**Hello my fellow chipmunks and chipettes! I'd quick like to say that even if you're a guest, you can still review my stories. I greatly appreciate your feed back. It means a lot to me.**  
**May all munk kind reign!**


	3. Into the Caldera

**Hello my fellow chipmunks and chipettes!**

**Sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. I've been really lazy lately. Plus I've been spending a lot of time playing Black Ops 2. Sooo, ya. Enjoy!**

The elevator descended sluggishly, creaking loudly every now and then while we just stood there in silence. I sighed deeply just before feeling something nudge my side. I looked over to find a foot poking me, so I looked up at it's owner.

"Hey Alvin.", greeted the boy. He was maybe 5 foot 4 with skin as white as a ghost, scrawny limbs, dark brown hair cut at an average length for a boy, and a barely visible smile on his skinny face.

"Hi", I said plainly.

"H-how the heck did you get in this mess?"

"I was framed for murder, like you'd believe me though..."

"You're kidding! I was framed too!"

"What? I'm not the only one?", I asked, suddenly interested.

"Apparently not. Uh, the names Zee", Zee said with an outstretched finger to me. I took his finger in my paw and shook it.

"Nice to meet ya Zee."

Zee smiled before turning to a chubby kid behind him, "What's your name?", he said with an outstretched hand.

The boy just glared at him, ignoring his hand shake invitation, "I'm Marty, now leave me alone."

"Whoa man, don't hate on the hand shake! How bout' a high five from your favorite rock star?", I asked Marty cheerfully.

He simply shifted his eyes to me then away again, "Not a fan."

I contorted my face in shock, "What?! How can you not be a fan of me?!"

Marty just ignored us and Zee turned to me, "Just leave 'im alone. Everyone has their opinions", said Zee with a short sigh.

"Right. Even if they do hint insanity.", I replied, earning me a glare from Marty just as the elevator abruptly stopped.

"Sheesh, guess the rides over.", I said.

Zee nodded in acknowledgement prior to the giant, silver doors opening. The first thing we saw was a massive crowd of white, red and orange. Hundreds of kids surrounded by the reddish rock that this place was made up with crowded the entrance, their faces plastered with eagerness, sorrow, or were devoid of expression. In front of them was a dully painted yellow line that stretched across the immense court yard that was behind the crowd. The vast expanse was completely empty aside from the massive iron structure at the back of the court yard. Steel stair cases led up to over a dozen platforms, stretching across the the rock wall. On each platform was a row iron bars, what I can only assume is our prison cells. The whole thing reminds me of a rib cage, and I've been devoured alive to find myself here looking at it.

Several boys and a few girls strutted up to us, each wearing a filthy white bandanna. One of the boys stepped ahead of everyone else and crossed his arms.

"Looks like we've got some new fish. I'd like to be the first to welcome you all to Caldera! Now, know this and remember it well. Aside from the Warden and the Black suits, I'm in charge. My name's Kevin, and I'm the leader of the Skulls. If any of you would like life here as easy as possible, you will join my gang. However if...if you, um...what the hell is that?", Kevin said, pointing at me.

Everyone followed his gaze. Not a single person gasped and said, 'Oh my God, it's Alvin!'. They just stared at me like I was an attraction at a zoo. 'Ugh, here we go again', I thought to myself.

"Fan-freaking-tastic. This is that awkward moment where I'm surrounded by people who haven't a clue who I am.", I groaned.

One of the girl skulls swore, "It talks?!"

"Yeah, I do, and you better get used to it cause I do a lot of it.", I remarked.

Zee stepped up beside me, "This is Alvin. Obviously none of you know this but he's the lead singer of the world's current most famous rock band, Alvin and the Chipmunks."

"That's right, ", I confirmed, "and don't YOU forget it."

Kevin's face showed nothing but confusion, "You-you're a...talking...singing chipmunk? That's...eh, different. Actually, that...could come in handy. I haven't heard music in forever! Sooo...Alvin, was it?"

"Yep. Don't wear it out."

"Sheesh. It's so weird talking to what I used to hunt, kill and eat. How about you join the skulls? We could really use the entertainment after so many years of this bull shit. ", Kevin gestured to everything around him, "So, what do ya say?"

That wasn't exactly a difficult question. The skulls were one of the many gangs that took part in the month of slaughter. These were all heartless murderers. The real deal. I had only been framed for murder, and I wasn't about to stoop to their level.

I lifted my head, breathing in deeply, "No."

"Excuse me?"

Just then, an ear piercing siren blared out three short bursts. Everyone but me and the other new inmates immediately backed away from us until they were behind the yellow line again. I figured we were meant to do the same but I didn't care. I turned my attention sharply at the sound of grating metal to my left, where a massive iron airlock door was slowly swinging inward into the rock wall, revealing several "Black suits" as Kevin had called them, two men in gas masks and another in a grey business suit. The man in grey walked up to us and rested his hands behind his back. I tried looking at him but when I met his gaze, I strangely found myself staring at the wall behind him. I tried again but only ended with the same result. "What in the-', I swore in my mind.

"You must be the new inmates. I am the Warden, Warden Cross. Since you're all new here, we'll call this a warning. When ever you hear the siren go off three short times, it indicates that anyone not within the boundaries of Caldera, er...the yellow line,", He gestured to the line in front of me, of which I and the others immediately crossed into the boundaries, "or in the main yard will be...killed. If you hear a single, long siren, you are to return to your cell. It sounds for three minutes. Those who are not in their cells when it ends will be killed. Now, all of you shall be assigned a cell mate, therefore you will rely on them for learning the rules and schedules of Caldera."

Warden Cross sighed, "You've interrupted important work I am to attend because of this issue. I'd like to return to my business as soon as possible, therefore you may all choose your cell mate. You may only choose someone who is already alone in his or her cell. You may also ONLY pair up with your own gender. Violation of either of these rules will get you and your chosen cell mate killed. I will leave you to it then."

The Warden then turned and walked back in through the large passageway along with the others. The Air lock slowly closed with the same deafening sound. I looked back at the crowd of inmates to find every one of them staring at me.

Kevin smirked, "Well Alvin, looks like you're my new cell mate!", he said.

"Heck no! Besides, Cross said I could choose my cell mate, not be chosen.", I replied with my own smirk.

"I wouldn't be so smug if I were you."

Suddenly, Kevin lunged forward, reaching out for me as he did. I easily jumped out of his reach and scurried between his legs and into the crowd of kids.

"YOU LITTLE RAT! GET BACK HERE!", he screamed and plowed into the inmates, "Out of my way!"

I have to admit, doing this was stupid. No one is just standing there. Everyone's scattering around to get out of Kevin's way. Hundreds of feet threatened to trample me at any moment!

Just as I was about to make my way out of the ever thinning crowd, I yelped in shock when I felt a hand grab my tail, plucking me effortlessly off the ground. The next thing I knew, I was shoved into the kid's overalls and was engulfed by complete darkness. I was about to scream to be let go, but was instantly cut off by the sound of Kevin again screaming for me to stop hiding from somewhere farther off.

"H-hey, who are you?", I whispered to the kid who'd concealed me.

"Quiet!", he quietly shot at me. I've no objection to that.

I heard Kevin swear multiple times before going up to a different new inmate and yelling at him that he was his Cellmate. Slowly, I could hear everything settling down as inmates began talking amongst themselves, less densely as well as they dispersed. I yelped slightly when I felt myself sloshed sharply to the right as the kid turned and began walking elsewhere.

The journey lasted maybe six minutes of being thrashed about inside the loose fitting clothes until I felt a hand grab me around the waist and hoist me out of the overalls. I felt the hand loosen, palm up, so I stood up in the hand while straightening out my clothes before looking up at who'd gotten me away from the psychotic skull leader.

First off, the kid was huge! His white undershirt was almost skin tight on his muscular arms. He had dark skin and black hair cut short on his skinny but large and hardened face, brown eyes, and a serious expression that seemed to be forever carved into him.

"Heheh, heh. Um, thanks man. I'm A-", but was cut short as I was reaching out for a hand shake.

"Alvin. I know. I heard you the first time.", he acknowledged while placing his finger in my paw to shake, "I'm Donovan. Now, I've already doomed myself to trouble in the near future by helping you, let alone making you my cellmate, so you have to do exactly as I say to keep yourself out of trouble."

I nodded with a chuckle, "I'll try! Staying out of trouble is something I'm not too good at."

"Well you better get good at it quickly. You've already become a target for the skulls. It's bad enough as it is. Promise me you'll do as I tell you!"

"...Fine. I doubt there's anything very fun to do here anyways. I don't particularly want to get shot or eaten either."

"Me neither."

"Wha...Oh don't tell there are cannibals!"

"Nono, no cannibals! No one here's that crazy!"

"Then what did you-"

I was abruptly cut off by a deafening alarm, practically blaring directly into my tiny ears! The siren echoed throughout the main yard and the iron floor lined with cells I just now realized I was on. What sounded like a violent, rushing tsunami emitted from far below me, the hundreds of feet stomping up the steel steps to the cells. Donovan then turned about and walked into our open cell with me still standing in his hand. He brought his hand down to the side of the bottom bed, since it was a bunk bed, and I jumped off, landing on the simple grey bed spread. It was anything but luxurious.

"Better get some rest. You'll need all the energy you can get for tomorrow. The first day here is always hell.", Donovan explained.

I acknowledged him with a nod before laying up against the pillow and pulling the sheets up over my legs and waist.

"So, Donovan. How long have you been here anyways?", I asked the boy watching the activity outside our cell.

"Far too long. No one deserves to be here. Not in a prison like this."

The siren cut off shortly after the thundering foot falls ceased. Almost immediately after, the cell doors all simultaneously slid along the track in the floor, shutting with a deafening, cumulus bang. Donovan turned and walked up to the bed, hoisting himself up to the top bunk without a word.

Minutes passed, but nothing happened, "U-um, Donovan? When do the lights go out?", I asked, assuming they did go out at all.

The only answer I received was a distant electrical current sound as everything went dark.

**Hope you enjoyed chapter three! By the way, I have some possibly good news! I say possibly because it may or may not happen. I've been considering finishing chapter three of "The Cataclysm"! I'm afraid some future chapters for this story will take longer also due to writing said chapter as well as another comedy act for my comedy and performance series. Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**Make sure to review! I love receiving feedback from all willing and able, whether it be positive or criticism. That means you too guests!**


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